Empowering Teachers to Create and Curate Their Online Brand
CONTEXT: (5-10 minutes) What is a online learning hub?
During the Summer Institute you will be curating and constructing resources for your students and peers to use as we continue this journey in building digital literacy. The challenge is that we ultimately need a "hub", or learning management system that the teacher owns and edits. I think this learning management system should be Google Sites.
How can I access Google Sites?
Google Sites is a free online tool that can be used to build and host your own online websites. You will first need a Google Account to use this tool.
I have used Google Sites to create my Digital Sandbox - a website I use to "play" and share resources before highlighting them.
I also use Google Sites to collaborate with others in building the Digital Texts and Tools Online Repository - a website to curate and share open, educational resources for K-12 and higher education.
Finally, I used Google Sites to build my first MOOC, the Online Research & Media Skills Massively Open, Online Community - an online learning community used to empower teachers to use technology authentically and effectively in their classroom.
OVERVIEW OF FEATURES (10 minutes) Key features of Google Sites:
You will not be able to start up and build your website in Google Sites in the time period we have here. I suggest that you first consider what your purpose is for your website....and your intended audience. Please write out and share via Twitter (include the #DigiURI hashtag) a tweet indicating how you plan on using your Learning Hub.
You should be able to specifically identify the purpose of the website. For example...is this website to share resources you curated and constructed from online materials? Is it merely to share your teaching materials to allow students to access your materials from home? Do you want your students to construct parts of the website...or is it all your work to complete? Please keep in mind that if you plan on moving out to "flip your classroom" at some point...you first need a collection of online resources that you have curated over the years. This could/should be that resource.
You should also be able to identity the audience that you're focusing on. Is this for your students? Is this for colleagues in your building, or department, or globally? Do you want others to collaborate and help in revisions of this? Do you want your audience to be able to comment on your work?
Reflection prompt:
Where is your online, digital learning hub? How do you want your students using these resources? Do you make these materials easy to follow and understand?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
To go directly to a spreadsheet to find, share, and "rate" templates for Google Sites, please click here.
CONTEXT: (5-10 minutes)
What is a online learning hub?
During the Summer Institute you will be curating and constructing resources for your students and peers to use as we continue this journey in building digital literacy. The challenge is that we ultimately need a "hub", or learning management system that the teacher owns and edits. I think this learning management system should be Google Sites.
How can I access Google Sites?
Google Sites is a free online tool that can be used to build and host your own online websites. You will first need a Google Account to use this tool.
I have used Google Sites to create my Digital Sandbox - a website I use to "play" and share resources before highlighting them.
I also use Google Sites to collaborate with others in building the Digital Texts and Tools Online Repository - a website to curate and share open, educational resources for K-12 and higher education.
Finally, I used Google Sites to build my first MOOC, the Online Research & Media Skills Massively Open, Online Community - an online learning community used to empower teachers to use technology authentically and effectively in their classroom.
OVERVIEW OF FEATURES (10 minutes)
Key features of Google Sites:
All materials are available here.
MINI-TASK (15 minutes) and REFLECTION (5 minutes)
You will not be able to start up and build your website in Google Sites in the time period we have here. I suggest that you first consider what your purpose is for your website....and your intended audience. Please write out and share via Twitter (include the #DigiURI hashtag) a tweet indicating how you plan on using your Learning Hub.
You should be able to specifically identify the purpose of the website. For example...is this website to share resources you curated and constructed from online materials? Is it merely to share your teaching materials to allow students to access your materials from home? Do you want your students to construct parts of the website...or is it all your work to complete? Please keep in mind that if you plan on moving out to "flip your classroom" at some point...you first need a collection of online resources that you have curated over the years. This could/should be that resource.
You should also be able to identity the audience that you're focusing on. Is this for your students? Is this for colleagues in your building, or department, or globally? Do you want others to collaborate and help in revisions of this? Do you want your audience to be able to comment on your work?
Reflection prompt:
Where is your online, digital learning hub? How do you want your students using these resources? Do you make these materials easy to follow and understand?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
To go directly to a spreadsheet to find, share, and "rate" templates for Google Sites, please click here.
To learn more...and share more about this work, please join the Using Google as a Free LMS Google+ Community (http://bit.ly/UGAFreeLMS).